abnormal spread between block date and body -L_78?

[TimG]

Had a '68 435 vette that was a local, one owner car with a casting date of October 67 and a build date of July 68. It was bult in the final days of '68 production and was the original engine. Why a nine month spread? Who knows, but the original local owner sure didn't know anything about restamping an engine in the late 80's when I bought this car. The engine could have been damaged while being put together and sat for weeks and weeks before being repaired.